1 غ َيْرَ أنَّهُ كانَ هُناكَ أنبِياءٌ كَذَبَةٌ بَيْنَ شَعبِ اللهِ! وَسَيَكُونُ بَيْنَكُمْ أيضاً مُعَلِّمُونَ كَذَبَةٌ، يَدُسُّونَ بَينَكُمْ عَقائِدَ هَدّامَةً. سَيُنكِرونَ الرَّبَّ الَّذِي اشتَراهُمْ، فَيَأتوا عَلَى أنفُسِهِمْ بِدَمارٍ سَريعٍ.

And there did come also false prophets among the people, as also among you there shall be false teachers, who shall bring in besides destructive sects, and the Master who bought them denying, bringing to themselves quick destruction,

2 س َيَتبَعُهُمْ كَثِيْرُونَ فِي طُرُقِهِمُ المُنحَلَّةِ. وَبِسَبَبِهِمْ سَيُساءُ إلَى طَرِيْقِ الحَقِّ.

and many shall follow out their destructive ways, because of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of,

3 ف َهُمْ سَيَستَغِلُّونَكُمْ بِتَعاليمِهِمُ الخادِعَةِ، وَسَيُتاجِرُونَ بِكُمْ فِي جَشَعِهِمْ. أمّا دَينونَتُهُمْ فَمُعَدَّةٌ مُنذُ القَدِيْمِ، وَدَمارُهُمْ فِي انتِظارِهِمْ.

and in covetousness, with moulded words, of you they shall make merchandise, whose judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction doth not slumber.

4 ف َاللهُ لَمْ يَعفُ عَنِ المَلائِكَةِ الَّذِيْنَ أخطَأُوا، بَلْ أرسَلَهُمْ إلَى كُهُوفِ الظُّلْمَةِ فِي العالَمِ السُّفلِيِّ لِيُحجَزُوا حَتَّى مَوْعِدِ الدَّينُونَةِ.

For if God messengers who sinned did not spare, but with chains of thick gloom, having cast down to Tartarus, did deliver to judgment, having been reserved,

5 ل َمْ يَعفُ اللهُ عَنِ العالَمِ القَدِيْمِ، لَكِنَّهُ أنقَذَ نُوحَ الَّذي كانَ يَعِظُ مَنادِياً بِحَياةِ البِرِّ، وَأنقَذَ سَبعَةً آخَرِيْنَ مَعَهُ، عِندَما أرسَلَ الطُّوفانَ عَلَى عالَمِ الأشْرارِ.

and the old world did not spare, but the eighth person, Noah, of righteousness a preacher, did keep, a flood on the world of the impious having brought,

6 و َحَكَمَ عَلَى مَدِيْنَتَي سَدُّومَ وَعَمُّورَةَ بِالدَّمارِ فَحَوَّلَهُما إلَى رَمادٍ، وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُما عِبْرَةً لِلآثِمِيْنَ مُبَيِّناً ما سَيَحدُثُ لَهُمْ.

and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah having turned to ashes, with an overthrow did condemn, an example to those about to be impious having set;

7 و َأنقَذَ لُوطَ الرَّجُلَ البارَّ، الَّذيْ كانَ يَتَألَّمُ مِنْ سُلُوكِ الفاجِرِيْنَ المُنحَلِّ.

and righteous Lot, worn down by the conduct in lasciviousness of the impious, He did rescue,

8 ك انَ ذَلِكَ البارُّ يَتَعَذَّبُ فِي قَلْبِهِ البارِّ مِنَ الأُمُورِ الَّتِي يَراها وَيَسْمَعُها، وَهُوَ يَعِيشُ بَينَهُمْ يَوماً بَعْدَ الآخَرِ.

for in seeing and hearing, the righteous man, dwelling among them, day by day the righteous soul with unlawful works was harassing.

9 و َهَكَذا يَعرِفُ الرَّبُّ كَيْفَ يُنقِذُ الَّذِيْنَ يَخدِمُونَهُ مِنَ التَّجارِبِ، وَكَيْفَ يُبقِي الأشرارَ حَتَّى يَومِ الدَّيْنُونَةِ لِلعِقابِ.

The Lord hath known to rescue pious ones out of temptation, and unrighteous ones to a day of judgment, being punished, to keep,

10 و َلا سِيَّما الَّذِيْنَ يَتبَعُونَ طَبيعَتَهُمُ الجَسَدِيَّةِ وَشَهَواتِها النَّجِسَةِ، وَيَحتَقِرُونَ سُلطانَ الرَّبِّ. وَهُمْ وَقِحُونَ، مَغْرورونَ، وَلا يَتَهَيَّبونَ مِنْ إهانَةِ ذَوي الرُّتَبِ العاليَةِ!

and chiefly those going behind the flesh in desire of uncleanness, and lordship despising; presumptuous, self-complacent, dignities they are not afraid to speak evil of,

11 أ مّا المَلائِكَةُ، فَهُمْ أكثَرُ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَجَبَرُوتاً، إلّا أنَّهُمْ لا يَفتَرُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَدَى الرَّبِّ!

whereas messengers, in strength and power being greater, do not bear against them before the Lord an evil speaking judgment;

12 ل َكِنَّ هَؤُلاءِ الأشخاصَ أشبَهُ بِحَيواناتٍ غَيْرِ عاقِلَةٍ، تَسُوقُها الغَرائِزُ. وَهِيَ تُولَدُ لِلصَّيدِ وَالهَلاكِ. إنَّهُمْ يَهزَأُونَ بِأُمُورٍ يَجهَلُونَها. وَكَما تَهلِكُ الَحَيواناتُ، سَيَهلِكُونَ أيضاً.

and these, as irrational natural beasts, made to be caught and destroyed -- in what things they are ignorant of, speaking evil -- in their destruction shall be destroyed,

13 و َسَيَنالُونَ جَزاءَ ما ارتَكَبُوهُ مِنْ أذَىً. كَما إنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَ مُتعَتَهُمْ فِي الانغِماسِ فِي اللَّذّاتِ حَتَّى فِي وَضَحِ النَّهارِ. وَهُمْ عارٌ وَخِزيٌ بَيْنَكُمْ. يَتَلَذَّذُونَ بِطُرُقِهِمُ المُخادِعَةِ بَيْنَما يَشتَرِكُونَ فِي وَلائِمكُمْ!

about to receive a reward of unrighteousness, pleasures counting the luxury in the day, spots and blemishes, luxuriating in their deceits, feasting with you,

14 ش َهوَةُ الزِّنا فِي عُيُونِهِمُ الَّتِي لا تَتَوَقَّفُ عَنِ الخَطِيَّةِ، وَيُغوُونَ الأشْخاصَ غَيْرَ الثّابِتِيْنَ. لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ مُدَرَّبَةٌ عَلَى الفِسقِ، وَهُمْ أولادُ اللعْنَةِ.

having eyes full of adultery, and unable to cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having an heart exercised in covetousnesses, children of a curse,

15 ت َرَكُوا طَريقَ البِرِّ، فَتاهُوا. تَبِعُوا طَرِيْقَ بَلْعامِ بْنِ بَصُورَ الَّذِي أحَبَّ الأُجرَةَ الَّتِي تَقاضاها مُقابِلَ اثْمِهِ.

having forsaken a right way, they did go astray, having followed in the way of Balaam the of Bosor, who a reward of unrighteousness did love,

16 ل َكِنَّهُ وُبِّخَ عَلَى إساءَتِهِ. فَقَدْ نَطَقَ حِمارٌ أعجَمُ بِصَوْتٍ بَشَرِيٍّ، فَمَنَعَ النَّبِيَّ مِنِ ارتِكابِ حَماقَتِهِ.

and had a rebuke of his own iniquity -- a dumb ass, in man's voice having spoken, did forbid the madness of the prophet.

17 ه َؤُلاءِ المُعَلِّمُونَ الزّائِفُونَ يَنابِيْعُ لا ماءَ فِيْها، وَغُيُومٌ تَدفَعُها العاصِفَةُ. وَقَدْ حُفِظَ لَهُمْ مَكانٌ فِي أعماقِ الظُّلْمَةِ.

These are wells without water, and clouds by a tempest driven, to whom the thick gloom of the darkness to the age hath been kept;

18 ي َفتَخِرُونَ افتِخاراً أجوَفَ، وَيَجُرُّونَ الآخَرينَ إلَىْ فَخِّ شَهَواتِ الطَّبيعَةِ الجَسَدِيَّةِ، لِيُغوُوا أُولَئِكَ الَّذِيْنَ بَدَأُوا لِلتَّوِّ بِالهَرَبِ مِنْ رِفاقِ السُّوءِ.

for overswellings of vanity speaking, they do entice in desires of the flesh -- lasciviousnesses, those who had truly escaped from those conducting themselves in error,

19 ي َعِدُونَهُمْ بِالحُرِّيَّةِ، بَيْنَما هُمْ بِكامِلِهِمْ عَبِيْدٌ لِلفَسادِ. فَالإنسانُ مُستَعبَدٌ لِما يَسودُ عَليهِ.

liberty to them promising, themselves being servants of the corruption, for by whom any one hath been overcome, to this one also he hath been brought to servitude,

20 ه َرَبَ هَؤُلاءِ مِنْ أوساخِ العالَمِ بِمَعرِفَةِ رَبِّنا وَمُخَلِّصْنا يَسُوعَ المَسِيْحِ. لَكِنَّهُمْ إذْ عَلِقُوا فِي شِراكِها مَرَّةً أُخْرَى وَانغَلَبُوا، صارَتْ حالَتُهُمُ الأخِيْرَةُ أسوَأُ مِنَ الأُولَى.

for, if having escaped from the pollutions of the world, in the acknowledging of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and by these again being entangled, they have been overcome, become to them hath the last things worse than the first,

21 ف َكانَ أفضَلَ لَهُمْ لَوْ أنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَعرِفُوا طَريقَ البِرِّ، مِنْ أَنْ يَرتَدُّوا عَنِ التَعليمِ المُقَدَّسِ بَعْدَ أنْ عَرَفوهُ وَقَبِلوهُ.

for it were better to them not to have acknowledged the way of the righteousness, than having acknowledged, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them,

22 و َهَكَذا يَصدُقُ عَلَيْهِمُ المَثَلُ القائِلُ: «كَلْبٌ يَعُودُ إلَى قَيئِهِ.» وَمَثَلٌ آخَرُ يَقُولُ: «خِنزِيْرَةٌ مُغَسَّلَةٌ تَعُودُ إلَى التَّمَرُّغُ فِي الوَحلِ.»

and happened to them hath that of the true similitude; `A dog did turn back upon his own vomit,' and, `A sow having bathed herself -- to rolling in mire.'